Welcome to Second Nature, a podcast about living with ecological grief. Each week, Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo takes us on a deeply personal journey about planetary loss, and what we love, what we have lost, and how we move forward. Through a series of engaging, thought-provoking, and moving conversations with incredible guests from around the world, Second Nature is an invitation to come together to share stories of loss, love, despair, and joy, as we learn how to live with – and embrace – ecological grief and mourning.

In the first episode of Second Nature, Living with Ecological Grief, host Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo introduces her over 15-year journey of exploring ecological grief, climate change, and mental health. She shares a formative childhood experience with a destroyed beaver pond, highlighting her early, solitary struggles with ecological grief. Her involvement deepened in 2008 during research in Northern Labrador, where conversations with Inuit, particularly a pivotal dialogue with Inuit Elder Sarah Baikie in 2009, enhanced her understanding and guided this work. This led to the multi-year documentary project "Lament for the Land," which garnered global attention.

Ashlee emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and processing grief to foster resilience and healing, drawing on insights from Francis Weller's "The Wild Edge of Sorrow." She underscores grief's relational power, urging listeners to face ecological grief collectively and proactively. The show promises to explore global narratives and encourage courageous conversations, reminding us to approach life "one day at a time."

- Mourning Nature: Hope at the Heart of Ecological Loss and Grief by Ashlee Cunsolo and Karen Landman - https://www.amazon.com/Mourning-Nature-Heart-Ecological-Grief/dp/077354934X/

-Lament for the land film - http://www.lamentfortheland.ca/

- The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller - https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Edge-Sorrow-Rituals-Renewal/dp/1583949763

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/SFUA9bKExdk

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Welcome to Second Nature, a podcast about living with ecological grief. In each episode, Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo takes us on a deeply personal journey about planetary loss, and what we love, what we have lost, and how we move forward. Through a series of engaging, thought-provoking, and moving conversations with incredible guests from around the world, Second Nature is an invitation to come together to share stories of loss, love, despair, and joy, as we learn how to live with – and embrace – ecological grief and mourning.

Welcome to Second Nature, Living with Ecological Grief. In today's episode, host Ashlee Cunsolo interviews Dr. Bernie Krause, a pioneer in soundscape ecology, about his 50-year journey documenting natural sounds. Comparing these soundscapes to the richness, diversity, and importance of the Library of Alexandria, Dr. Krause reveals a distressing decline of natural soundscapes due to climate change and human activity. He emphasizes the emotional and cultural importance of natural sounds, sharing personal anecdotes, including a story about beaver grief and the devastating impact of the 2017 California wildfires on his life.

Dr. Krause insists on the emotional capacity of animals and the necessity of proactive listening for environmental awareness. Through his work, such as "The Great Animal Orchestra," Dr. Krause combines science and art to evoke public response to ecological issues. Ashlee and Dr. Krause stress the urgency of reconnecting with nature to address broader environmental crises, leaving listeners with a call to face ecological loss with courage and awareness.

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/SFUA9bKExdk

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Welcome to Second Nature, a podcast about living with ecological grief. In each episode, Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo takes us on a deeply personal journey about planetary loss, and what we love, what we have lost, and how we move forward. Through a series of engaging, thought-provoking, and moving conversations with incredible guests from around the world, Second Nature is an invitation to come together to share stories of loss, love, despair, and joy, as we learn how to live with – and embrace – ecological grief and mourning.